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Talk:The World I Know/@comment-3575890-20131222143700
Okay, I am just KICKING myself that I didn’t wait to see Frozen in theatres because this movie was perfection enough in less than stellar quality on my small computer screen; I can’t imagine how much more amazing the experience would have been on a big theatre screen, but I digress. This movie was everything I expected it to be, but also turned out to be so much more than I ever bargained for. For a Disney princess film, it is shockingly progressive in its strong moral messages and themes and female-driven narrative. It manages to stray from archaic formulaic norms and actually breaks all of the pre-established rules. The kiss of true love conquers all? Nope, not in this film! The seemingly perfect prince sweeps the princess off her feet and they live happily ever after? Nada! The hero saves the heroine just in the nick of time? Not in this movie! The main love story is between the heroine and her love interest? Nope! The love interest of the heroine is a charming, dashing, seemingly perfect prince? Nope! I haven’t been this impressed with a Disney princess film in terms of its representation of its female characters since…well…EVER! Can we talk about the fact that this is a first in Disney history in where the catalyst that breaks the curse is not a traditional kiss of true love, but the strength of the love between two sisters? That is so beautifully progressive and unique from the usual formulaic true love conquers all approach that it actually moves me to tears like no other Disney film has before. As ADORABLE as Kristoff and Anna are and believe me when I say that I am shipping them hardcore right now, one thing that really resonates with me and draws me to the conclusion that this movie is so much more than just another Disney film, but really rather moreso leans towards being a masterpiece of its time, is that Anna and Kristoff’s love story is nothing more than a backseat subplot to the true love story of the series, which is between the two female protagonists.The primary focus is not on neither Anna and Kristoff nor Anna and Hans; but rather the sisterly bond between Anna and Elsa, which is nothing short of beautifully executed. In fact, the main theme of this film is what true love constitutes and the many forms it takes. Can we talk about Hans and the ballsy move on the part of the screenwriters in making him a LOATHESOME HORRIBLE piece of shit when he was established as a very likeable character and viable love interest throughout 3/4 of the film? Now it was pretty damn obvious fairly early into the movie who Anna was going to end up with. But the series of events that I predicted would unfold was that Hans would kiss Anna to save her, it wouldn’t have effect because her heart belongs to Kristoff, she’d let Hans down gently and him being the nice guy that he is would understand, Kristoff would swoop in, kiss her just in time, and all’s well that ends well; needless to say I couldn’t have been further off-base, but what I especially DIDN’T see coming was that mother of a plot twist in that Hans never cared about Anna and had actually been manipulating her the entire time. However, it was brilliant! The immediate reason that I didn't ship Hans and Anna, even when I was under the impression that they were going to be the "it" pairing of this story, is that they represent that love-at-first-sight spur-of-the-moment infatuation that particularly people who don’t yet have a lot of life experience tend to mistake for love. Having Hans turn out to be a monster so that Anna could learn a valuable lesson about stranger danger and young impressionable viewers could take a page from it as well is quality storytelling. Those that feel Hans’ change of heart seemed too abrupt or out of left field, I would advise you to take a closer look. Their duet scene at the beginning of the film (Love Is An Open Door) may seem like sloppily-written romantic interlude at first, but it’s actually anything BUT that. The whole while Anna's believing Hans to be her soul mate based on an illusory idea that they are in-sync in their thoughts, he’s merely echoing her every word and everything she wishes to hear all to manipulate her feelings towards him in his favor. What seems like a cute, fluffy moment between the two of them is actually an illustration of the abusive and problematic situation that is unfolding. I have never seen a bolder, ballsier move in a Disney film and I love it. One brilliant, albeit too-subtle-to-catch-it-the-first-time hint leading up the big reveal is when Hans stops the archer from killing Elsa. At a first glimpse it seems like Hans is trying to save Elsa, but when you look at it through a fresh pair of eyes, it is apparent that he deliberately, with the archer’s hand, aims to strike the chandelier directly above Elsa with the intent for it to fall on her killing her. This particularly highlights Hans’ manipulative nature as it allows him to kill Elsa without his intentions being known, while he also gets to reap the hero benefits in his show of valiantly trying to save Elsa. I can’t begin to describe how much I love that because it proves this plot twist was not a last minute decision the screenwriters pulled out of their asses but rather that they have indeed known where they were going with Hans’ character from the start. Then on the other side of the spectrum, you have Kristoff (UGH LET ME LOVE HIM!), who appears to be the furthest thing from the conventionally ideal bachelor, but turns out to be more of a prince than the once-seemingly perfect Hans could ever be! Thus yet another great moral message in this story as exemplified by the good guy-bad guy dichotomy with Kristoff and Hans is that appearances can be misleading. On the surface, Kristoff seems like the lesser desirable suitor. He’s rude, uncouth, ruffian, standoffish, and snarky, but on the other he’s also fiercely protective, deeply feeling, and heartbreakingly lonely as clarified in his quirky imaginings of conversations with his pet reindeer. Whereas Hans who appears to be the picture-perfect package is a deceitful con man and murderer. I love how this point was driven home right from the beginning with effective useages of foreshadowing — particularly in Elsa’s and Kristoff’s vocal disapproval of Anna marrying a man she just met, which is SO beyond ironic considering damn near every past Disney pairing’s love story began in exactly the same way that Hans and Anna’s did! Overall, this film really breaks off from the traditional rules and norms of fairytale stories and perpetuates some very powerful messages for young impressionable female viewers, which are that: You should not hesitate to be true to yourself and who you are. You do not need a man to save you. The love of family is just as important and just as capable of overcoming obstacles as romantic love. People are not always who they seem. If someone seems too good to be true, they probably are. The seemingly perfect man may not be who he seems if even could be a threat. Bra-fucking-vo, Disney!